Elegant Play

Dlr:
West
Vul:
None
North
♠ K 8 7
3
K J 7 6 5
♣ A K 7 4
South
♠ A 10 9 5
A Q J
A 8 2
♣ J 8 2
West North East South
Pass 1 Pass 1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass 3♣
Pass 4♣ Pass 4♠
All Pass

This deal comes from Barry Rigal, writing in the Daily Bulletin at the World Bridge Championships in Estoril, Portugal, last fall. The declarer was Sam Lev, playing with Billy Eisenberg for USA2 in the Seniors Bowl.

West led the 9 to the jack, queen and ace. Lev played the ♠9 to the king and ran the ♠8 to West’s jack. The 10 went to the queen, followed by a diamond (West discarded a club) to the king.

Lev then cashed the ♣A, felling the queen, and played a club to his jack. West ruffed and played the 9 to Lev’s jack. This was the position:

Dlr:
Vul:
North
♠ 7
7 6
♣ K 7
West
♠ Q 6
K 8 2
East
7
10 4
♣ 10 9
South
♠ A 10
A
8
♣ 8

Lev cashed the ♠A and played the ♠10 to West’s queen, discarding a diamond from dummy.

East could pitch his low heart on the ♠A and a diamond on the next spade, but when West returned a heart perforce, East was squeezed in the minors. Lev pitched dummy’s diamond on the third round of hearts and awaited East’s discard. If it was the 10, Lev’s 8 would be good. If it was a club, Lev would win and play his club to dummy, scoring the ♣7 as his 10th trick.

The full deal:

Dlr:
Vul:
North
♠ K 8 7
3
K J 7 6 5
♣ A K 7 4
West
♠ Q J 6 3 2
K 10 9 8 2
9
♣ Q 3
East
♠ 4
7 6 5 4
Q 10 4 3
♣ 10 9 6 5
South
♠ A 10 9 5
A Q J
A 8 2
♣ J 8 2